Terrebonne adopts stricter smoking rules

With a new state law that bans smoking on school grounds taking effect Jan. 1, the school districts in Terrebonne Parish is implementing a stricter policy on the habit.

This spring the state legislature passed the Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act, which bans smoking in many public places, including school campuses. At its last meeting, the school board went one step further by making it illegal for both the employees and the public to smoke when attending any school function, including high-school football games and other sporting events.

The school board was set to vote on whether to eliminate smoking from all public-school campuses until District 4 representative Rickie Pitre presented an amendment to extend the ban to include all board property.

Pitre’s amended ban includes smoking at the Central Office and the bus garage where the state law had not previously banned designated-smoking areas. According to Board Vice President L.P Bordelon, most schools have designated smoking areas outside, away from students.

The District 4 member’s suggestion was met with some opposition from the nine-panel board, including Education and Policy Committee Chairman Hayes Badeaux, who presented the original motion that would have banned smoking only on school campuses.

“We would be doing a little more than what the state law tells us to do,” Badeaux, District 9 member, said.

Pitre said the state gives the board the privilege to create a tougher smoking ban if they choose. “Let’s make it system wide and help all our employees,” he said.

Before the board voted on Pitre’s amendment, several members voiced their opposition to the issue, including Roger Dale DeHart, District 7, who said he doesn’t support the amendment, even though he’s been a non-smoker for almost 30 years.

The board first voted on Pitre’s amendment, removing the portion of the original motion that would have allowed employees on school board property other than school campuses n such as the Central Office and bus garage n to smoke outside in designated areas.

All nine members were present and the amendment was approved 5-4, with Bordelon, District 2 member Gregory Harding, Badeaux and DeHart voting nay.

Before voting on the initial motion including the amendment, Duplantis asked Badeaux what the penalty would be for any employee caught smoking on school board property.

According to The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, the penalties for smoking in non-smoking areas are $25 fine for the first offense, $50 for the second offense and $100 for the third and proceeding offenses. The funds collect will go toward the Department of Health and Hospital Tobacco Control program.

Several of the board members asked who would be enforcing the new law, whether it be at schools, School Board buildings or at school sporting events. Badeaux said at schools, principals and assigned school police officers would be in charge of regulating the new law.

The initial motion to ban smoking, including the addition of the amendment banning smoking from all school board property, passed 6-3 with Pitre, Board President Clark Bonvillain, Bordelon, District 3’s Richard Jackson, District 1 member Roosevelt Thomas and Badeaux voting yes.

Every school board in the Tri-parish area currently prohibits students from smoking anywhere on campus. More than 15 years ago, smoking by employees also was moved out of the classrooms, teacher lounges and other indoor areas.

The following is a rundown of action taken by the Terrebonne Parish School Board during its regularly scheduled school board meeting on Nov. 21. All board members were in attendance. All decisions were unanimous.

• Approved a request for leave for Melanie Boulet, sixth grade Social Studies teacher at Montegut Middle School, to attend the Council for the Social Studies annual conference in Washington, D.C.

• Accepted personnel section appointments for the assistant principal at South Terrebonne High School and the Coordinator of Fleet Operations in the Terrebonne School Board Transportation Department.

• Approved a family or medical leave of absence for Christine Cockerman, school clerk at Grand Caillou Middle School.

• Accepted all contract renewals, retirements and resignations for October and November of 2006.